I soon found out that the answer was unfortunately 'very,' and that I was rather rusty with handling vehicles. The drive was a mad rush through the streets, and I thanked every god I could think of that it was so late at night on Christmas, and there was nobody else around. I did nearly run over a taxi, but that was fine!
"Where the bloody hell did you learn to drive?!" Delilah shrieked as we narrowed missed a lamp post.
"I've never driven before!" I shouted back, which was technically true. Sorta.
"Oh God, we're gonna die!" she uttered in horror. "WATCH THAT FIRE HYDRANT!"
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, spinning the wheel so we didn't smash into the object in question. "So, where should we go next?"
"Wait, I thought you knew where you were going?" Delilah demanded. "And how come I couldn't recognize you earlier? And how did we get out of the building safely?"
"Ha! No, I'm completely winging it," I replied. "And sorry, but those are trade secrets!"
She swore under her breath, before taking a deep breath. "I need to find a phone," she told me.
"To call your parents?" I asked. "Whoops! That was a close one!"
"Y-yes," she gurgled, white-faced. Which was totally unfair! There was at least a whole inch between the van and that other parked car!
"Hmm, I saw a payphone back there," I muttered, turning around and driving back to a spot I'd seen earlier.
There was indeed a payphone, proud in its glass box waiting to be used. It was in front of a parking garage, and I screeched the van to a halt near it.
Delilah staggered out of the passenger's side and wobbled over to the payphone, only to pause.
"Um, do you have and change?"
"I do not," I replied. "Just some bills. Hang on, let me check something."
I fished around in the van, trying to find some change for the phone, but all I found was lint, old French fries, and a crumpled cigarette. There wasn't even anything in the glove box!
"Shit," she muttered when I told her I'd found nothing. "Okay, Plan B. Is there any place open we can get some coins?"
"Delilah, it's past midnight on Christmas. There isn't a single store open," I told her.
"Then what do we do?" she demanded angrily.
"We could mug someone," I suggested.
"No!" she shouted at me. "No violence! Not unless they try and mug us first!"
"Fair," I shrugged. Then frowned. "Um, do you think we could find something in the parking garage?"
"Maybe," Delilah mumbled. She then shivered.
"At the very least it will be out of the wind," I said, turning off the engine then getting out of the van.
"Fine," she muttered as she walked into the concrete edifice behind the payphone. It was better, but not by much, and we looked around on the floor for any dropped coins. There was nothing, just a couple cars parked overnight, and I sighed in annoyance.
"We should leave," I said with a grunt as I kicked an empty can across the ground. "Take the van and find somewhere safe to hide. Hit up the bobbies, see if they can help?"
"The police won't help," Delilah said with a scowl. "I have a suspicion I know who it was that took me, and they have friends in high places. No, I need to contact my father. That's the safest thing to do."
"Fudge buckets," I grumbled. "Then should I drive to your home, then?"
"Yes, I think that would be the best," she began, but froze when she heard a car out on the street. "Edward, please check on that for me."
I nodded and walked over to the edge, only to frown.
"Shit, they found us," I uttered, glaring outside. A pair of cars had driven up and had boxed the van in, preventing it from leaving. I could see several men getting out, handguns out, and I stepped away.
"Go! To the top, and hide behind one of the cars," I ordered her, getting my own weapon out while passing her one as well.
"What about you?" she asked fearfully as she took the gun I offered her.
"I'll hold them off," I told her, sinking my mind behind my Occlumency shields. I couldn't afford to be distracted by my emotions at the moment. "And I've got plenty of tricks up my sleeves."
She nodded, having experienced what I was talking about, and ran off. I meanwhile stalked off to the lower levels and took up position behind a car that was parked near a concrete pillar.
"Come on, you sons of bitches," I breathed out.
Soon, a man in black ran up the ramp towards me, but in the dark, he didn't see me taking aim. I twisted my runic ring, and as time slowed around me, I pulled the trigger, and down he went!
Another man came running up behind the first thug and grabbed his feet, dragging him away while firing blindly in my direction.
"Bring it on, wankers!" I shouted out, my mental shields slipping for a brief moment. "COME UP HERE AND FACE YOUR DOOM IF YOU DARE!"
And that was how I ended up here, trapped in a parking garage while being shot at by murderous goons as I attempted to rescue a kidnapped young woman from being sold into slavery. Or worse.
"I should be getting ready for Christmas morning right now!" I snarled angrily as I ducked back down behind a car as bullets pinged off the trunk after shooting at the thugs chasing after Delilah.
....
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